Most low-income patients are covered by Medicaid and can receive care at any hospital.
The hospital serves a large proportion of low-income patients.
Odyssey House, with over 1,000 low-income patients in its nine centers, encourages clients to run.
He states, "Perhaps the most important benefit from such a divestiture would be the improved quality of health care available to low-income patients."
Special payments to hospitals with large numbers of low-income patients would be cut by 25 percent over the next seven years.
Many low-income patients wanted to use these charity programs to supplement the new Medicare drug benefit.
Many uninsured and low-income patients benefit from these free samples, which often serve as a safety net.
Other physicians, particularly those caring for low-income patients, have yet to confront the issue.
The $221,000 - like all of the company's money - was provided by New York City to care for low-income patients.
The hospital also offers the class free to low-income patients.